


Is that love?

by oscarwildeboytoy



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Starts angsty, but his sweater is inherintly fluffy, lets face it stanford is a stubborn ass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2019-01-06 01:40:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12201345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oscarwildeboytoy/pseuds/oscarwildeboytoy
Summary: Stanford has never been one for love. The word applied to family and science. And for the last few years science had taken that spot completely. Now as he works to fix the portal after F's accident he wonders if this heavy feeling is from sleep deprivation and hunger; or heart break. Does he love F?





	Is that love?

     Stanford wiped the sweat off his brow for what felt like the tenth time in only a few minutes. He cranked the wrench grumbling under his breath at how difficult the last few pieces seemed to be. 

  
His stomach growled and he absently noted he had not eaten at all that day. He toyed with the idea of stopping to eat but that would defeat the purpose of his non stop work. Since F had left he had been working double time. F’s unplanned trip into the portal had damaged many of the gauges and Ford worked even harder now to try to fix them. And to try to forget the look on F’s face when he had chosen his project over him.

  
Ford had come up with a million reasons. All which had started with science.

  
“This is an amazing breakthrough. I can’t stop now.”

  
“A true friend would know how much this meant to me.”

  
and,

  
“He never cared for this project like I did. I can do this alone.”

  
But they devolved into,

  
“He has a wife and a child. What good would running after him do.”

  
“He never felt the same way about you. If he had he would have stayed.”

  
and,

  
“Don’t think about F don't think about F”

  
Which only served to make him think about F all the more. 

  
His hand slipped and the wrench flew out of his grip knocking his head as it flew up and then clacked against the floor of the much too empty lab.

  
Ford cursed as he pulled his hand away to see blood and finally let the tempting idea of food and a hot shower become the forefront of his thoughts.

  
He made his way up stairs. The smell of dust and lemon scented pinesol was strong as he pressed a warm rag to the small cut on his brow.

  
He mused how much head wounds bled as he started off towards the main study to grab a bandage. Then he stopped.

  
On F’s old desk was a rubix cube. Undone. F had never left it undone until he had started to fear the small town Ford had grown to love.

  
Ford Picked up the cube and for a moment stared at it blank eyed. Then he began to cry. 

  
How long had it been since he had cried. A long time. A longer time still since the tears fell freely and he held his stomach though gut wrenching sobs. 

  
He had lost everything. Stanley, his best friend and brother. His parents. To old age. His dream school, a wound never quite healed. And now… F. His.. what was he to him? 

  
Ford focused on the thought as the sobs subsided. What was F?

  
“Love.”

  
The word felt odd on his tongue but not odd when put to F’s memory. 

  
Ford stood and looked in the mirror his face was tear streaked and now a small rivulet of blood joined it from his eyebrow. He closed his eyes and before he could change his mind hopped on his motorbike and started towards town.

  
F had moved to a small trailer outside the city dump. It was cheap due to the smell. Ford felt tears still falling as he stopped his bike and willed himself to hop off almost with no time for the engine to stop and head up to F’s door. He knocked. And he waited. Time doing what it will to anxieties he began to question his rash decision. And just as he started to turn the door opened. 

  
“Ford?”

  
F stood there, he was wearing a bathrobe and the shadows under his eyes showed he was not doing well.

  
“Are you bleedi–”

  
He was cut off as ford rushed forward and hugged him. He pulled back almost immediately and then cleared his throat.

  
“I was wrong. This portal… I.. no.. we need to stop it.”

  
F furrowed his brow and worried at his bottom lip. 

  
“What changed your mind?”

  
Ford looked down and fidgeted his feet which he now realised were still bare from working in the basement.

  
“I… know something's off.”

  
He neglected still to mention his muse.

  
“And after the… way you reacted… to whatever you saw… well. I trust you.”

  
F’s face went blank and then he smiled tired.

  
“Glad you finally went and put some common sense before those book smarts.”

  
He chuckled and gestured for Ford to come inside. Stanford followed glancing at the neat trailer. He had always been surprised by how meticulous F was. 

  
“You… have… Do you want to come back to the lab..”

  
Something in Ford’s head promptly reminded him F had a family and he looked up.

  
“Wait… why didn’t you go back to your wife?”

  
F chuckled sleepily and sat down on a fold out cot.

  
“She left me a few weeks back. Filed divorce papers and everything.”

  
Ford couldn’t help but feel a twinge of relief at this news followed by guilt over his own selfishness. 

  
“Oh… I'm so sorry.”

  
F looked down.

  
“Are you though?”

  
Stanford took a step back surprised by F’s candid doubt in him.

  
“Why wouldn’t I be?”

  
F shook his head almost amused.

  
“Because you wanted me to stay.”

  
Ford tensed.

  
“Yes but I would not have wanted your family taken away.”

  
F nodded knowingly.

  
“I know…. you know. You’re more family to me than my wife was. We got married because she was young when I knocked her up.”

  
Ford blushed slightly and nodded trying to be understanding.

  
“That makes sense.”

  
F stood quickly and Ford was shocked by the change in mood so quickly.

  
“No it doesn’t! You should marry someone for love and nothing else….”

  
F sat just as suddenly.

  
“I didn’t love her. Even now… I don't love her that way.”

  
Ford felt that feeling tugging at him again and he took a deep breath doing something that would either give him all he wanted or break him in two.

  
“Do you love me?”

  
F’s head jerked up and ford closed his eyes prepared to be rejected.

  
“Yes.”

  
Ford’s eyes flew open and he stared at F shocked.

  
“You….?”

  
F laughed.

  
“I thought you’d never own up to it. Either that or you didn't even know  what you were feeling”

  
Stanford laughed and looked at the carpet.

  
“A bit of both actually.”

  
F let out a hearty chuckle and walked to Ford. With the edge of his bathrobe he wiped the almost dried blood from Ford’s face. 

  
“I love you.”

  
Ford looked up and smiled.

  
“I… love you.”

  
F grinned and then sat back down on the cot. This time ford followed. 

  
“I think we both could use some rest.”

  
They both nodded and then laughed at the awkward and sweet moment before they laid down. At first they fiddled not sure where to lay. Then F wrapped his arms around ford his head pressed to Stanford's seemingly always sweatered chest and relaxed. Ford breathed in and smiled feeling the dried tears still there. The rumbling in his stomach and the beginnings of a headache from too much crying. But as he fell asleep, F in his arms. He also felt love.


End file.
